Amazon
I get most my books on-line. Simpy because it ends up being a lot cheaper. In 2004 when I started buying on-line the ratio was 3 books on-line for the same price as 2 in store. Now a days I believe the difference is not as big.When I say on-line I mean Amazon. Amazon has a great service. They have a generous offering of titles, awesome prices, fast delivery and the best on-line ordering system out there. I have nothing but good things to say about their service.However today I got this email:
As you've previously had orders delivered to Portugal, we wanted to let you know that our delivery options to Portugal are changing. From April 3, 2014, FREE Super Saver Delivery will no longer be available. You'll have the option of Standard or Priority Delivery for orders being delivered to Portugal.
More information about international delivery rates and times can be found here.We strive to provide our European customers the greatest possible selection at low prices and hope to see you again soon.
Regards,Customer Service Department
This will make me either buy one less book per month (it would take it down to 2) or start buying locally again.I better start searching for my LCS's customer card.Goodbye Amazon.co.uk its been great knowing you.Follow Reading Graphic Novels on Facebook and Twitter.
Originally Published at Reading Graphic Novels http://readinggraphicnovels.blogspot.com/2014/04/portuguese-retailers-give-big-thank-you.html

my drawing (uncensored) / mi dibujo (sin censura)I neither condone nor forgive censorship. It seems to me as if censoring a work of art –be it a book, a movie or a graphic novel– is not only a crime but mainly an effrontery towards freedom of speech. For decades, the battle against censorship has had its ups and downs. In the 50s, Wertham and his “Seduction of the Innocent” provided a fatal blow to the comic book industry. In the same decade, however, there were some victories. I’m thinking about the legal battle concerning the alleged “obscenity” of Ginsberg’s Howl:It is not for us to choose the words. Mister Ginsberg, in telling his story, is telling the story as he sees it. He is using his words. There are books that have the power to change men’s minds and call attention to situations that are visible but unseen.Now whether “Howl” is or is not obscene is of little importance to our world, faced as it is with the threat of physical survival, but the problem of what is legally permissible in the description of physical acts or feelings in arts and literature is of the greatest importance to a free society.What is “prurient”? And to whom? The material so described is dangerous to some unspecified, susceptible reader. It is interesting that the person applying such standards of censorship rarely feels as if their own physical or moral health is in jeopardy. The desire to censor is not limited, however, to crackpots and bigots. There is in most of us, a desire to make the world conform to our own views. And it takes all of the force of our own reason as well as our legal institutions to defy so human an urge. The battle of censorship will not be finally settled by Your Honor’s decision, but you will either add to liberal, educated thinking, or by your decision, you will add fuel to the fire of ignorance.Let there be light. Let there be honesty. Let there be no running from non-existent destroyers of morals. Let there be honest understanding.Jake Ehrlich (c. 1957)And finally, for those of you that think taking out a word from Marvel’s edition of Miracleman # 4 is no big deal, I leave you with an extract from an Alan Moore interview (conducted by Pádraig Ó Méalóid):Alan Moore: The problems arose – I remember – It was something really stupid. It was probably one of the later ones, and I’d got a scene, probably taking place mostly inside the mind of Johnny Bates, where I had – there was somebody had called him a queer, a virgin, I think it was probably his adult evil self…Pádraig Ó Méalóid: Yes, that’s right, I know exactly the scene you mean!Alan Moore: He called him a queer, a virgin, and there was some other vaguely controversial, or apparently controversial piece of dialogue, and I remember Dez Skinn phoning me up and saying that he didn’t like these things and he wanted them changed. And I said that I didn’t want them changed because I thought that they were natural, they were a part of the characterisation, and also I didn’t see what the purpose of that was. Warrior was aimed at a fairly intelligent readership, we hadn’t had any complaints, and I tended to think that this was a hangover from Dez Skinn’s days at Marvel, and he mentioned lots of things – ‘why offend even one reader?’ – to which I responded, ‘because the alternative is to gear your entire product to the most squeamish and prudish member of the audience.I wish more readers would express their concerns to Marvel Comics. I plan to keep buying Miracleman and I demand an edition faithful to the original. And that means no censorship. Hopefully this will be the first and last mistake on their part.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Esta semana fueron tres las muestras que marcaron la pauta en el circuito artístico limeño. En primer lugar, “Horizontes”, individual de Pedro D’Onofrio Dibos. El artista presenta una serie de cuadros que juegan con nociones paisajísticas pero que son, a la vez, una exploración de la riqueza de los colores, a partir de ciertos matices centrales. “Horizontes” llega a nosotros gracias a La Polaca, nuevo espacio cultural barranquino que ha decidido optar por el “Lado B” del arte. Y aquí la B no es de Barranco, sino una representación de aquellas propuestas o manifestaciones artísticas que rara vez encuentran cabida en galerías comerciales.
Alexia Pedal BaertlCuando llegué a la concurrida sala me encontré con mi antigua colega de COSAS, Gabriela Maskrey y saludé a Bernat Perez Sobrebals. También conversé brevemente con Nicolás Tarnawiecki, quien además de ser uno de los principales artífices de La Polaca es reyrrojino al igual que yo.Nuevamente, el Centro Colich nos volvió a sorprender con dos imprescindibles muestras. En primer lugar, destaco “Creaturas” de Alexia Pedal Baertl. Se trata de una seria de esculturas magníficas, cinceladas con precisión, y sumamente simbólicas.Por último, "Primitiva" (muestra colectiva de jóvenes artistas) reúne obras de María Gracia Fernández, Berenice Zagastizábal, Pancho García, Christian Luza, Ana Zegarra, Elizabeth Vásquez Arbulú, Ibrain Plácido, Italo Flores Silva y Carla Lucia Bardález. Mi favorito fue el cuadro de Italo Flores Silva: una lúcida disección de la imagen del felino, ese arquetipo tan constante en la historia de la humanidad y, por qué no, del arte.
En el transcurso de la noche conversé con mi amigo Reve (para ver sus obras pueden hacer click aquí y aquí) y con Adriana Pinillos, con quien no hablaba quizás desde la época en la que todavía estaba en Los Reyes Rojos. Una muy buena semana para el arte.Arcadio B.Originally Published at http://artbyarion.blogspot.com/2014/04/horizontes-pedro-donofrio-dibos-la.html

Cover
Aspen Comics is thrilled to present its first new property of 2014 on April 9th, the action-adventure series Lola XOXO, created, written and illustrated by Siya Oum (Charismagic, Executive Assistant: Iris). The highly anticipated upcoming six-issue series unfolds in a dystopian western tale following young firebrand character Lola, who has been raised under the protection of a band of traveling merchants.Despite potential dangers in the “Wasteland,” Lola decides to perilously traverse what’s left of the United States in a desperate—and deadly—search for her parents. Oum discusses her enthusiasm for the project:
"It has always been a dream of mine to have my own series. It hasn't quite hit me. I can't imagine how I'll feel when I get the first printed issue in my hands. I feel like everything I've ever experienced, everyone I've ever cared for has a hand in inspiring the creation of this Lola XOXO. I couldn't have asked for a better publisher and a better group of friends to guide me through the process. I am forever grateful."
Aspen strongly encourages fans to visit their local comic book stores to pre-order the first issue of Lola XOXO, which boasts eleven covers of Oum’s own design. Future issues will feature cover art from a myriad of the industry’s top artists such as Joe Benitez, Jordan Gunderson, Ale Garza and more to be announced soon. Aspen Editor in Chief Vince Hernandez encourages fans to check out the publisher’s latest offering:
"Siya [Oum] and Lola XOXO have exceeded all of our expectations, and we're excited to be able to show everyone the result of all her hard work. I've had the pleasure of seeing this project from its earliest stages of development, and it's really been a labor of love for her that shows on every page. I think everyone who checks out the first issue will agree!"
Cover B
Cover C
Cover D
Follow Reading Graphic Novels on Facebook and Twitter.
Originally Published at Reading Graphic Novels http://readinggraphicnovels.blogspot.com/2014/04/aspen-comics-presents-lola-xoxo-on.html

CoverA Frozen World is disturbing story about a barren, industrial, cold city called Irongates. She devours its inhabitants, sucks the life out of them until only misery remains.In it there are three stories. The first is about a nicotine addicted man that goes through life scavenging the leftovers Irongates allows him to get. That stories leads to the tale of a man that can't cope with the death of his pregnant wife. The last story dwells on the life of a murderer that terrorizes the low-lives of Irongates.Nick Andors is responsible for all creative aspects of A Frozen World. From time to time a book like this appears, a labor of love that not only tells a tale but also transpires much about its creator and connects to the reader on an intimate level.
Irongates
Nick does a great job with the writing. The pace is just right and the dialog are spot on. The overall plot will keep you turning the page, not in anticipation but in searching for closure and a glimmer of hope in this bleak world.In the art department he keeps the bar high. While its not as flawless as the writing, its still very good, only having a few hiccups here and there, mainly in the details. But above all it fits the dark tone of the book perfectly.The high contrast black and white style that Nick choose for this book is just perfect. Its filled with realistic and surreal characters that greatly increase the bleak, dramatic and gloomy ambiance. I love how he plays with the panel layout. They're very dynamic and create a conductor line to guide the reader that works very well.In sum its a very good book, printed in a big format that I liked very much. If you seek an original idea, a different way of telling dystopian stories, than this is just what you need.Its a pity Nick only sells for the US market, but it you email him, I believe an arrangement can be accomplished.You can get A Frozen World directly from Nick's website afrozenworld.com. Nick also can be found on Twitter and Facebook.Publisher: Eyekon PublishingYear: 2014Pages: 120Authors: Nick AndorsISBN: 9780989531214Follow Reading Graphic Novels on Facebook and Twitter.
Originally Published at Reading Graphic Novels http://readinggraphicnovels.blogspot.com/2014/03/review-frozen-world.html

What a fantastic month for comic books! I loved the Bojeffries Saga GN, I had been wanting to read it for years and now that I did, I must say it lived up to my expectations and in fact surpassed them. I’m quite satisfied with the first issues of All New Invaders and New Warriors (part, as you may have guessed, of All New Marvel Now). Since I no longer buy The Walking Dead I was very relieved to get my fix of zombie thrills in George A. Romero’s Empire of the Dead. Image’s Deadly Class #1 was quite an interesting first chapter and with great art. Miracleman continues to surprise me not only because it’s one of the best Alan Moore runs but also due to the high quality of Marvel’s edition. And this month I have a tie for best single issues (printed in 2014): Unwritten Apocalypse #1 and Thor God of Thunder #18 (Das Pastoras is the best!). Truly extraordinary issues. And now, without further ado, here are February comics as per solicitations.
ALL NEW INVADERS #1 (W) James Robinson (A) Steve Pugh (CA) Mukesh Singh 'GODS AND SOLDIERS' PART ONE • Eisner Award winner James Robinson (STARMAN, EARTH 2) returns to MARVEL, uniting with Steve Pugh (ANIMAL MAN, HOTWIRE, GEN-X) to create a unique, modern day take on the INVADERS. • The KREE EMPIRE intends to conquer the universe using a weapon that will grant them an army of NORSE GODS. • It falls to four heroes united by their past-CAPTAIN AMERICA, NAMOR, THE ORIGINAL HUMAN TORCH and the WINTER SOLDIER-who must now face the future and wage war against the Kree to save Earth. ALL NEW X-FACTOR #2 (W) Peter David (A) Carmine Di Giandomenico (CA) Jared K. Fletcher. 'NOT BRAND X' Part 2 X-FACTOR IS BACK…LIKE NEVER BEFORE! Serval Industries, one of the world's most trusted names in electronics and leader in cutting-edge internet and weapons technology, has just unveiled their newest contribution to society…the All-New X-Factor. Led by mutant mistress of magnetism, Polaris, the team uses its corporate backing for the betterment of society. With her half-brother Quicksilver, notorious thief, Gambit, and more by her side, can Polaris trust that her corporate masters really have good intentions? BOJEFFRIES SAGA GN (MR) (C: 1-0-2) (W) Alan Moore (A/CA) Steve Parkhouse. Jobremus Bojeffries is like any other father - trying to keep the peace in a house stuffed with two kids (Ginda and Reth), uncles Raoul and Festus, a baby and old Grandpa Podlasp. Never mind that one's a werewolf, one's a vampire, Grandpa is in the last stages of organic matter, and the baby puts off enough thermonuclear energy to power England and Wales. All right, they're no ordinary family. And this is no ordinary book, with stories spanning decades, a whole chapter written as light opera, a Christmas episode, and an all-new 24-page comic bringing the Bojeffries up to the present day. On every page, the wry and anarchic creativity of the creators shines through: Alan Moore's affectionate and penetrating grasp of human nature (and British culture) creates a kind of desperate poignancy in the characters, brought to memorable life by Steve Parkhouse's deft and articulate line work. It's all there, untutored, unpolished, ramshackle and always on the edge of collapse.
DEADLY CLASS #1 (MR) (W) Rick Remender (A/CA) Wesley Craig, Lee Loughridge. It's 1987. Marcus Lopez hates school. His grades suck. He has no money. The jocks are hassling his friends. He can't focus in class, thanks to his mind constantly drifting to the stunning girl in the front row and the Dag Nasty show he has tickets to. But the jocks are the children of Joseph Stalin's top assassin, the teachers are members of an ancient league of assassins, the class he's failing is 'Dismemberment 101,' and his crush, a member of the most notorious crime syndicate in Japan, has a double-digit body count. Welcome to the most brutal high school on Earth, where the world's top crime families send the next generation of assassins to be trained. Murder is an art. Killing is a craft. At King's Dominion High School for the Deadly Arts, the dagger in your back isn't always metaphorical, nor is your fellow classmates' poison. Join writer RICK REMENDER with rising star WESLEY CRAIG (Batman) and legendary colorist LEE LOUGHRIDGE (Fear Agent) to reminisce about the mid-1980s underground through the eyes of the most damaged and dangerous teenagers on Earth. DEADPOOL GAUNTLET #1 Deadpool has tangled with vampires before, but is he ready…to work for them?! • Dracula has a very important package he needs delivered safely, so he hires the Merc with the Mouth to get the job done! GEORGE ROMEROS EMPIRE OF DEAD ACT ONE #1 (OF 5) (W) George A. Romero (A/CA) Alex Maleev ZOMBIE GODFATHER GEORGE ROMERO UNLEASHES HIS NEXT UNDEAD EPIC-AS AN ALL-NEW MARVEL COMIC! • Welcome to New York City years after the undead plague has erupted-but just because Manhattan has been quarantined, don't think that everyone inside is safe! • Not only do flesh-eaters roam within Manhattan, but there's another ancient predator about to take a bite out of the Big Apple! • Plus: It's a terrorizing team-up in variant cover form when the Zombie Godfather unites with the Zombie King - Arthur Suydam! KICK-ASS 3 #6 (OF 8) (MR) (W) Mark Millar (A/CA) John Romita. It's the flashback issue you've all been waiting for: The secret origin of Hit-Girl! Training, first blood, and of course, lots of hugs and positive reinforcement from Big Daddy. Exactly how does little Mindy McCready earn her assassin stripes? Hint: It ain't by collecting stickers. This issue will be extra-sized for extra awesome! MIRACLEMAN #2 (W) TBD, Mick Anglo (A) Various (CA) Alan Davis • KIMOTA! With one magic word, a long-forgotten legend lives again! • Freelance reporter Michael Moran always knew he was meant for something more -- now, a strange series of events leads him to reclaim his destiny! • Relive the ground-breaking eighties adventures that captured lightning in a bottle -- or experience them for the first time -- in these digitally restored, fully relettered editions! • Issue #2 includes material originally presented in WARRIOR #1-5, plus bonus material. NEW WARRIORS #1 (W) Christopher Yost (A) Marcus To (CA) Ramon K. Perez. WARRIORS REBORN! Adventurers SPEEDBALL and JUSTICE have come together with a group of young heroes including NOVA, SUN GIRL, and HUMMINGBIRD (and even a couple of new faces) to stop the latest threat to the Marvel Universe-the Atlanteans, Inhumans, clones and hundreds of other so-called 'superior' beings are living among the humans of the Marvel Universe, but not everyone is pleased about it. THE HIGH EVOLUTIONARY has raised an army to combat the evolution of humanity - and the New Warriors are locked in his sights! SIDEKICK #5 CVR A MANDRAKE & HIFI (MR) (W) J. Michael Straczynski (A/CA) Tom Mandrake, HiFiFor weeks, super-villain Julia Moonglow has been feeding off the body and energy of Barry 'Flyboy' Chase while keeping him from remembering this. Now she's ready to let him remember, and reveals why she's been stalking him and the fate of her late twin sister. But that's just the warm-up for the big reveal, as Barry learns for the first time that the Red Cowl may be alive, a discovery that shatters him down to his very core. THOR GOD OF THUNDER #18 (W) Jason Aaron (A) Das Pastoras (CA) Esad Ribic • A tale of Young Thor, in the age of the Vikings. Here be a dragon. 'Nuff said. UNWRITTEN VOL 2 APOCALYPSE #1 (W) Mike Carey (A) Peter Gross (CA) Yuko Shimizu It's the perfect jumping on point, as Tom Taylor is stranded at the beginning of all creation! Lost in the unwritten scenes of all the world's stories, Tom Taylor is headed back to reality - and all the gods and beasts and monsters ever imagined can't stop him. But there's a toll on the road that may be too high for him or anyone to pay… UNWRITTEN VOL 2 APOCALYPSE #2 (MR) (W) Mike Carey (A) Peter Gross (CA) Yuko Shimizu. In the ruins of a post-literary world, Richie and Lizzie go in search of their lost friend Tom Taylor. But to find him, they'll have to venture into the most dangerous place on Earth: London. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________¡Un mes lleno de cómics fantásticos! Me encantó Bojeffries Saga, había estado esperando leer esto por años y debo decir que sí estuvo a la altura de mis expectativas y que de hecho las superó. Estoy bastante satisfecho con los primeros números de All New Invaders y New Warriors (parte, como habrán adivinado, de All New Marvel Now). Como ya no compro The Walking Dead me sentí muy aliviado de recibir mi dosis de zombis en Empire of the Dead de George A. Romero. Deadly Class #1 de Image fue un primer capítulo bastante interesante y con un muy buen arte. Miracleman continúa sorprendiéndome no sólo porque es una de las mejores etapas de Alan Moore sino también por la óptima calidad de la edición de Marvel. Y este mes hay un empate para el mejor número único (impreso en el 2014): Unwritten Apocalypse #1 y Thor God of Thunder #18 (¡Das Pastoras es lo máximo!). Números realmente extraordinarios. Y ahora, sin más preámbulos, aquí están los cómics de febrero.
ALL NEW INVADERS #1Comentario: El imperio KREE intenta conquistar el universo usando un arma que les garantizará un ejército de dioses nórdicos. Ahora, los héroes del pasado (CAPTAIN AMERICA, NAMOR, la Antorcha Humana original y WINTER SOLDIER) deben reunirse y luchar para salvar al mundo.ALL NEW X-FACTOR #2Comentario: ¿Podrá POLARIS confiar en las buenas intenciones de su medio hermano QUICKSILVER y en GAMBIT, el notorio ladrón?BOJEFFRIES SAGA GN (MR)Comentario: JOBREMUS BOJEFFRIES es como cualquier otro padre, intentando mantener la paz en una casa atiborrada de dos chicos, dos tíos, un bebé y un abuelo. Sin contar con que uno de ellos es un hombre lobo, el otro es un vampiro, el abuelo está en las últimas fases de la materia orgánica, y el bebé tiene suficiente energía termonuclear como para darle electricidad a toda Inglaterra y Gales. Está bien, no son una familia ordinaria. DEADLY CLASS #1 (MR)Comentario: Es 1987. Marcus odia el colegio. Tiene malas notas. No tiene plata. Los deportistas fastidian a sus amigos. No puede concentrarse en clase gracias a la preciosa chica que se sienta en primera fila. Pero los deportistas son los hijos del asesino principal de Stalin, los profesores son miembros de una antigua liga de asesinos, la clase que está a punto de desaprobar es ‘Desmembramiento’, y la chica es parte del sindicato del crimen de Japón. Bienvenidos a la secundaria más brutal de la Tierra, donde las principales familias del crimen del mundo envían a la próxima generación de asesinos para que sean entrenados. Aquí el asesinato es un arte, y la matanza una ciencia.GEORGE ROMEROS EMPIRE OF DEAD ACT ONE #1 (OF 5)Comentario: Bienvenidos a New York años después de que la plaga de los muertos vivientes ha empezado. Pero aunque Manhattan ha sido puesta en cuarentena, eso no significa que la gente se haya salvado.
my drawing / mi dibujoKICK-ASS 3 #6 (OF 8) (MR)Comentario: ¡El origen secreto de HIT-GIRL! Entrenamiento, sangre y por supuesto un montón de abrazos y buenos deseos de parte de BIG DADDY. ¿Qué exactamente hace una niña para ganarse el título de asesina? MIRACLEMAN #2Moran siempre supo que estaba destinado a algo más… ahora, una extraña serie de eventos lo llevan a reclamar su destino.NEW WARRIORS #1Comentario: Los aventureros SPEEDBALL y JUSTICE reúnen a un grupo de jóvenes héroes, incluyendo a NOVA, SUN GIRL y HUMMINGBIRD (y un par de caras nuevas) para detener la más reciente amenaza… el Alto Evolucionario ha formado un ejército para combatir la evolución de la humanidad.SIDEKICK #5 CVR A MANDRAKE & HIFI (MR)Comentario: Durante semanas, una villana se ha estado alimentando del cuerpo y la energía de Barry Chase (FLYBOY) y borrando sus recuerdos. Ahora está lista para devolverle su memoria y revelar por qué lo ha estado acosando. Pero la mayor revelación será descubrir que RED COWL sigue vivo.THOR GOD OF THUNDER #18Comentario: Un relato de un joven Thor, en la era de los vikingos.UNWRITTEN VOL 2 APOCALYPSE #1Comentario: Tom Taylor está perdido en el principio de la creación. Perdido en las escenas no escritas de todas las historias del mundo, hasta que se dirige a la realidad. Y ni todas las bestias ni monstruos imaginados lo podrán detener.UNWRITTEN VOL 2 APOCALYPSE #2 (MR)Comentario: En las ruinas de un mundo post-literario, ellos darán inicio a la búsqueda de Tom Taylor. Pero para encontrarlo tendrán que aventurarse en el lugar más peligroso de la Tierra: Londres.Originally Published at http://artbyarion.blogspot.com/2014/03/february-comic-books-comics-de-febrero.html

Cover
Kiani has risen!One of the most powerful figures in the Fathom universe returns for this epic third chapter! Following the tragic events of The Elite Saga and the shattering of her family ties, Kiani has risen above the surface and seemingly disappeared among the large expanse of the human population. However, with a power inside her that is capable of changing or destroying the world's landscape, her presence can only remain hidden for so long!Returning writer Vince Hernandez joins forces with Trish Out of Water artist Giuseppe Cafaro to bring you the latest adventures of Fathom's most fierce and beloved characters. Kiani is back and the world of the Blue will never be the same again!FATHOM: KIANI vol 3 #1 is in stores March 12th, 2014!
Preview Page 1
Preview Page 2
Preview Page 3
Preview Page 4
Cover B
Cover CFollow Reading Graphic Novels on Facebook and Twitter.
Originally Published at Reading Graphic Novels http://readinggraphicnovels.blogspot.com/2014/03/preview-fathom-kiani-vol-3-1.html